In Any Other World
by Sherlockedmyheart
Summary: Due to a tragic accident, a man loses his life. This accident not only shocks London but all those who knew him. This man was Doctor John Hamish Watson.


**In Any Other World**

They kept the milk at just the right temperature at Tesco's…

He discarded the thought just as quickly as he thought of it. He could concentrate on milk later…preferably when he wasn't seriously injured.

He closed his eyes for a moment, casting away the pain, the darkness, the cold, the wet…momentarily at least, and allowed his mind to wonder back to a time when there was no pain. Briefly, his subconscious retorted that there was never a point in his life where he wasn't in pain, none that he could remember anyway…but he ignored it. He had to or he might actually _want _to go, just to make it stop; a moment of peace.

Desperation clawed away at his skin, begging with him, pleading with him to do something, _**anything**_…

Then, in answer to his prayers, he saw _his _face. Those blue eyes, those soft curls, that smile…sobs racked his entire body, his heart burned with sorrow that was birthed from the depths of his soul. Of all the things to remember…all the people to see…_**why him?**_

He loved him. Yes, love but not the kind of love that he wanted…that…but he loved him because he was brilliant and flawed and magnificent and lost and hurt and alone.

'_So…you're unattached, just like me. Good.'_

Even now, those words sounded so pathetically cringe-worthy. The entire world around them had deemed it possible so why hadn't they? Why did it have to take imminent death for him to realise that he had fallen in love.

In any other circumstance he knew he would've cringed at the cliché but in any other circumstance he probably wouldn't be dying.

In any other world…

Tears streamed down his face as the fire burned in his chest. A searing, agonising pain that he would've given anything to stop. There was one way to make it stop but it frightened him and he didn't want to go.

Blood and bile rose in his throat and spilled out from his nose and mouth. He breathed in short, sharp breathes because that was all he could manage. He knew he couldn't sustain it for long, probably another five minutes or so. By then his lungs would've collapsed and filled up with blood. _Pneumothorax._

He didn't want to die alone, not like this. He wanted to grow old and retire and die with those he loved around him…with the man he loved beside him. Not crushed to death by a tone of rubble in complete darkness.

Maybe there was a way out, if he moved he could…he screamed. It was an animalistic howl that he used with the last reserves of what oxygen was left in his lungs, before spluttering to a painful stop.

He whimpered pitifully, but he was simply too far gone, in too much pain to care. He sobbed, the desolation of the situation finally becoming clear.

'_I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you.' _

He chanted in his mind, since his lungs had all but given up. He hoped, he prayed that somehow he would be able to hear him. He didn't want to leave. He didn't want him to be alone like that again. He swore he would never leave him, never again.

Why couldn't he keep his fucking promises? Why couldn't he be brave enough to have told him?

He opened his eyes. He wanted to it; death. He wanted to see his destruction or his maker, depending on who would show up. Would it just be darkness? Would he see some kind of light?

He saw neither.

He saw hope.

And he kissed him gently on the lips. He could feel it; the kiss. It felt warm and delicate and sweet. So unlike the pain and cold that was enveloping him. He felt beautiful, long dexterous fingers run soothingly through his ash coated hair. He could feel the warmth radiating from the body on top of him, filling him with glorious relief. He was here. He would know. Of course he would know, he knew everything….The moment was beautiful, oh God what he would give to stay like this forever…

With one final heave of his chest, he spluttered out the name of the man in front of him. And in that name he allowed everything to pour out. All the hurt, anger, fear, love, pain, joy, peace…

"_S-Sh-Sherlock._"


End file.
